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The Relation of William Law to John THE RELATION OF WILLIAM LAW TO JOHN \YESLEY AND THE BEGINNINGS OF METHODISM, BY ERIC W. BAKER, M.A. (Cantab.). A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DIVINITY FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, 1941. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page INTRODUCTION i PART I. HISTORICAL SURVEY. Chapter I, Before 1738 1 Chapter II. 1738 19 Chapter III. 1738 to 1756 36 Chapter IV. 1756 and After 60 PART II. WESLEY'S INDEBTEDNESS TO LAW. Chapter V. The Ethical Ideal 82 Chapter VI. Practical Outworkings 110 PART III. WESLEY'S DISAGREEMENT WITH LAW. Chapter VII. Wesley's Objection to Mysticism 130 Chapter VIII. The Fundamental Doctrinal Issue 150 Chapter IX. The 1756 Letter 182 PART IV. LAW AND THE BEGINNINGS OF METHODISM. Chapter X. The Testimony of Christopher Walton 206 Chapter XI. The Influence of Law on Methodist Belief and Practice. 225 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 238 BIBLIOGRAPHY 243 INTRODUCTION. No one could tell the story of John Wesley and the beginnings of Methodism without referring to the influence exerted by the writings of William Law at one particular period of Wesley's life. When it comes, however, to assessing the permanence and importance of that influence we find a considerable disparity. Scores of volumes have been devoted to expositions of Wesley's life and work, and in many of these the references to Law are of a cursory nature and confined to one of the early chapters. Such treatment would suggest that the relationship of the two men was an episode, important enough indeed, at the time of its occurrence, but of temporary interest, which can safely be forgotten v/hen the reader passes on to Wesley's later adventures. These writers would agree with the judgment of Dr. Henry Bett in a recent work. * "A great deal has been made (and a great deal too much by some writers) of the influence of Law". In startling contrast to this, we find other judgments, some emanating from the eighteenth century itself and others from modern writers, suggesting that Law's influence was paramount} Charles Wesley himself, Are are told by one of his early 2 biographers "used, even in old age, to refer to Law as "Our John the Baptist". Two of John Wesley's earliest biographers writing in j; the year after his death were equally emphatic."* "This considerable writer was the great forerunner of the revival which followed, 1. "The Spirit of Methodism", by Henry Bett, (1337), p.57. 2. "Life of Charles Wesley", by Moore, Vol. 1., p.107. 3. "Life of Wesley", by Coke and Moore, (1792), p.6. (new edition 1838). ii. and did more to promote it than any other individual whatsoever; yea more perhaps than the rest of the nation collectively taken." Dr, Trapp, the eminent contemporary of Law and Wesley, and an opponent of both, described Law as the parent of the Methodists and John Wesl«y himself agreed that there was some truth in this description. In later days Dr. G.A, Wauer has called Law "the father of the English revival of the eighteenth century, and the grandfather of Methodism". Similarly Miss Evelyn Underbill writes "Law has a certain right to •z be called the spiritual father of Methodism"."* Other instances could be cited, but the above suffice to indicate the scope and interest of the present enquiry, which is a careful examination of the relationship of Law and Wesley with an attempt to assess the genuine and permanent contribution of Law to Wesley *s religious experience a.nri outlook. As it is impossible to discuss Wesley apart from the movement he founded, a brief section has been added to indicate to what extent Law's influence on Wesley was reflected in the beginnings of Methodism, Such an enquiry involves covering again some ground which is already well trodden, and where this is so the work of others has been independently checked. But there are also certain aspects of the subject which, as far as I am aware, are set forth here for the first time. The whole is a fresh treatment of the life and work of Law and Wesley from the definite viewpoint of their mutual relationship, 1. Wesley's Works Vll, p.203. 2. "Die Anfange der Bruderkirche in England", quoted by Dr. Henry Bett, op. cit. p.57, 3. "Worship", by Evelyn Underbill, 1936, p.304. iii..t * which not only sheds light on the development of religious life in England in the eighteenth century, but also affords an angle on certain central religious issues of perennial interest, especially the subjective and objective approaches to the doctrine of the Atonement* In certain parts of the thesis, especially in chapters 111 and Vlll, it has been found necessary to include fairly lengthy extracts from Law»s writings. In this connection it is interesting to note F.D. Maurice »s judgment, "the remark of a friend, that Law is the most continuous writer in our language, each of his sentences and paragraphs leading on naturally, and as it were, necessarily to that which follows, makes me doubt whether the experiment of reducing one of his books into aphorisms, could be successful in any hands," Commenting on this, Law's biographer, Overton, remarks "the perfect truth of this description I have felt most painfully while endeavouring to select specimens which might give p the reader the best insight into Law»s. tenets". " Alexander Whyte experienced a similar difficulty, 3.* and Dr. Newton Flew quotes Maurice's words in explanation of the lengthy quotations he makes from Law. * The method adopted has been first to sketch the events of the whole period concerned, in so far as they are relevant to the subject, 1. "Remarks of the Fable of the Bees", by William Law, with an Introduction by F.D. Maurice, Cambridge, 1844, p. V. 2. "Life and Opinions of the Rev. William Law", by J.H. Overton, pp. 267 -268, 3. "Characters and Characteristics of William Law", by Alexander Whyte, London 1893, pp. V, VI. 4. "The Idea of Perfection in Christian Theology", by R. Newton Flew, Oxford 1934, p, 293. iv. after which sections are devoted to specific aspects of theological and practical importance, and a brief summary states the conclusions arrived at. Notes :- (1) Whenever in the thesis the name Lesley occurs with no Christian name prefixed, it is John Wesley who is referred to. (2) The spelling "Boehme" has been adopted throughout instead of the Anglicised "Befamen", even in quotations where "Behmen" is in the original. The adjectival form "Behmenish" has, however, been retained. (5) References to Law in the ensuing pages are to the complete edition in nine volumes, printed in London for J. Richardson, 1762. Privately reprinted for G. Moreton, Setley, Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, 1892. (4) References to Wesley are, where possible, to the Standard Editions of the Journal, Letters, and Sermons, and otherwise to the Collected Works, Third Edition, Jackson, 1829. The Standard Editions are as under :- Journal 8 Vols. Ed. Curnock, 1904 - 16. Standard Sermons 2 Vols .Ed. Sugden, 1921. Letters 8 Vols. Ed. Telford, 1951. PART 1« HISTORICAL SURVEY. CHAPTER 1, BEFORE 1758. Strictly speaking the relation of William Law to John Wesley does not begin until 1727 when Wesley first read Law's "Christian Perfection", but it is desirable for a clear understanding of events in that and subsequent years that we should have in our minds a brief sketch of the earlier history of the two men. William Law was born in 1686 at Kingscliffe in Northamptonshire, where he was also to spend his later years. He came of a good middle-class family. After a serious and devout upbringing he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as a sizar in 1705, graduating as a B.A. in 1708. He was elected to a Fellowship in 1711 in which year he also took Holy Orders. He became an M.A. in 1712 and appeared to be launched on a brilliant and successful career when, by refusing to take the oath of allegiance to King George 1, he forfeited his fellowship in 1716 and with it all prospect of advancement in the church. This action on his part, which was in marked contrast to the aptitude for compromise at the expense of principle displayed by many of his contemporaries, affords ample evidence alike of his intellectual honesty and his sensitive conscience. A further anticipation of what was to come was furnished by the "Rules for my Future Conduct" drawn up on his p entering the University and found among his papers. * This 1. "Notes and Rioterials for an adequate biography of William Law", by Christopher Walton, 1854, p.544. 2. ibid., p. 345. 2. document, comprising some eighteen principles of practical piety, taken in conjunction with certain prayers of his which have also survived from this period, show*that the seeds were already present of what was to come to full flower in the "Christian Perfection" and the "Serious Call" and should cause us to modify Mr. Stephen Hobhouse»s judgment of the extent of the conversion p which the publication of these latter works revealed. * Little is known of Law's whereabouts during the next few years, but it is probable that he lived quietly in London, In 1717 he published the "Three Letters to the Bishop of Bangor". g These letters, addressed to the latitudinarian Dr. Hoadly, contain the essence of the High Church position 'and constitute what Mr. Hobhouse describe* as the "first phase" " of Law's churchmanship , In them he insists on the absolute necessity of a strict apostolic succession in order to constitute a Christian priest and complains to the bishop, "You have left us neither priests, nor sacraments, g nor Church", * The importance of these letters for our purpose is that Law's position at this time is so different from that adopted by him later when one of Wesley'e main strictures on him arose from his alleged depreciation of the outward ordinances of the Church.
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